Combined universal-joint pipe coupling and plug.



PATENTED DEC. 15', I903.

No. 747,152. I

- DRAPER; COMBINED UNIVERSAL mm PIPEUOUPLINGTAND PLUG.

No. 747,1 5e.

NlTiE Smarts Patented December 15, 1903.

THOMAS DRAPER, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DRAPERMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF TION OF MICHIGAN.

COMBINED UNIVERSAL-JOIN PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORA- T PIPE COUPLBNGAND PLUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,152, dated December15, 1903. Application filed November 15, 1901. Serial No. 82,345. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DRAPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Port Huron, in the county of St. Clair and State ofMichigan, have invented a certain new and useful ImprovementinaOombinedUniversal-' Joint Pipe Coupling and'Plug, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

The device in which my invention is embodied is intended, primarily, foruse as a universal-joint coupling for connecting together twopipe-sections adapted for transmitting fluid under pressure. It is alsocapable of use to plug or stop the end of one pipe-section. In its bestform, as shown, it is capable of use in coupling together pipes ofdifferentdiameters. As appears from the drawings, the union occupies avery short space lengthwise of the pipe, and it may be connected withthe two pipe-sections after they have been placed in the relativepositions they are to occupy, or at least it is only necessary toseparate their ends a very short distance. It is believed that this is avery desirable practical characteristic of the device.

The invention may be conveniently summarized as consisting in theconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointedout definitely in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is an endview of the device looking in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe device when the parts are in the position where the device serves asa pipecoupling. Fig. 3 is an end view, and Fig. 4: is a longitudinalsectional view, of the de vice when the parts thereof are so arrangedthat it acts to stop or plug the end of a pipesection. Fig. 5 is anelevation, partly broken away, of the ball-valve forming a part of thedevice.

The device itself consists, essentially, of three members, which arerespectively indicated by the reference-letters A, B, and O. The memberA contains a spherical valveseat Ct and is internally threaded at oneend, whereby it may be screwed onto the pipeseetion D which the deviceis adapted to couple to the pipe-section D. The member B is internallythreaded and fitted to the threaded exterior of the member A. Near itsopposite end the member B has an inwardly-projectvalve-seat b. The thirdmemberis a sphere or ball O of such size as to fit two sphericalvalve-seats a 1), between which it may be clamped when thetwo membersAand B are screwed together. is ball hasa diametrical cylindrical holecthrough it. At one end this hole is threaded and is adapted to bescrewed onto the other pipe-section D. Within this hole 0 in the ball,but at such a position that therein, are the lugs c 0, adaptedforengagement with a wrench or key or some analogous instrument, wherebythe ball may be turned to screw it onto the pipe-section or whereby theball may be prevented from turning when the pipe is being turned. Thetwo lugs o c are the preferable means for securing the result stated;but any angular conformation of the hole a capable of cooperation with awrench or key may be employed instead of said lugs.

Preferably the two spherical valve-seats a h in the two members A B,respectively, are formed upon independently-construeted rings a 17 whichare secured in the two members, substantially as shown, by anyappropriate means. The hole through. the flange 1) is larger indiameterthan is the pipe-seetion D, upon which the ball is screwed. It need notbe much larger in diameter if it is only desired to permit a verylimited universal movement of the pipe-section D relative to the otherpipe-section D. The hole may, however, be made large enough to permitany desired universal adjustment of one pipe-section relative to theother.

The construction described may be also used to plug or stop the end ofthe pipe-section D. For example, the ball may be unscrewed from the pipeD and then turned into the position shown best in Fig. 3, where the axisof the hole 0 through the ball is at right angles to the axis-of thepipe D. An unbroken spherical surface will be pressed tightly over thehole in the member A and ing annular flange Z), on which is a sphericalit will not interfere with the screw-threads against the sphericalvalve-seat a when the member B is screwed on, and this serves toeffectively close or plug the end of the member A, and consequently ofthe pipe D, upon which said member is screwed. The spherical surfaceadapted to be used for so closing the end of the member A is of courselimited by the hole 0 passing through the ball, and it is necessary thatthe ball shall occupy pretty exactly the position explained, orotherwise the edge of the hole 0 may overlap the valve-seat a. In orderthat this adj ustment may be made, I place upon the surface of the ballat a point diametrically opposite to the center of the part of the ballwhich acts as the plug or valve a mark of some sort, which mark when theball is in the position to act as a plug will be equidistant. from allpoints of the margin of the hole in the member B.

A straight line 0 marking a diametric plane at right'angles to the holethrough the ball, is perhaps as good a mark as any to use for thispurpose.

Having described my invention, I claim- In combination, a member adaptedto be secured to the extremity of a pipe, said member having anenlargement and being externally screw-threaded, a ring mounted in saidmember and having a spherical seat, a second member provided withinternal screwthreads for engaging with the screw-threaded portion ofsaid first member, a flange integral with said second member, a ringcarried by said flange and having a spherical seat therein, a ballinterposed between said rings and having an opening therethrough, saidopening being arranged so as to receive different-sized pipe, and lugsWithin said opening adapted to be engaged by a wrench, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affiximy signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

THOMAS DRAPER. Witnesses:

E. B. GILcHRIsT, E. L. THURSTON.

